Bluefield State College Anticipates Record-Setting Enrollment Increase for Fall Semester
Bluefield State College Anticipates Record-Setting Enrollment Increase for Fall Semester
A record-setting enrollment increase at Bluefield State College—that’s what fall semester 2021 numbers indicate, according to BSC officials. On August 31, 2021, the total number of students enrolled was 12.6% higher than it was on the same date one year ago.
This comes on the heels of the August 12 start of the semester, marked by the return of student housing to BSC’s campus for the first time in more than 50 years, and the revival of Bluefield State football for the first time in 41 years.
“This semester, we welcomed a freshman class of nearly 600 students, 45% of our total enrollment,” Bluefield State College President Robin Capehart observed, “and nearly one-third of our freshman class are African-Americans. Overall, our minority and African-American student enrollment has risen from 3% three years ago to nearly 22% today.” The BSC student body includes students from 33 different states and 15 foreign countries.
Prior to Capehart’s January 2019 arrival, Bluefield State had experienced a 40% decline in enrollment over the previous eight years. By the fall of 2020, BSC halted its enrollment slide and registered a 1% enrollment increase, one of only three colleges in West Virginia to show enrollment growth.
“When final enrollment numbers for the fall semester are submitted, I fully expect Bluefield State College to be the fastest growing baccalaureate college in West Virginia,” the BSC president summarized. ”All of this growth occurred during a pandemic which saw dramatic decreases in college enrollment in West Virginia and nationwide, in general.”
